Direct preparation and conversion of copper hydroxide-based monolithic xerogels with hierarchical pores

Accepted 03 Jun 2015Copper hydroxide-based monolithic xerogels with controlled hierarchical pores have been prepared directly by a sol–gel process from an ionic precursor, CuCl[2]·2H[2]O. Propylene oxide acts as a gelation inducer by increasing pH homogeneously in a reaction solution. Poly(acrylamide) is utilized not only to control macroscopic phase separation but also to support the network physically. Glycerol contributes to the formation of monolithic gels by suppressing the growth of copper hydroxide crystals. An appropriate starting composition leads to co-continuous gel skeletons and macropores. Although the as-dried gels were amorphous, post-treatments (calcination and solvothermal treatment) formed metallic copper and copper oxides (CuO and Cu[2]O) without the collapse of the monolithic form and macrostructure

Mesoscopic superstructures of flexible porous coordination polymers synthesized via coordination replication

The coordination replication technique is employed for the direct conversion of a macro- and mesoporous Cu(OH)2-polyacrylamide composite to three-dimensional superstructures consisting of the flexible porous coordination polymers, Cu2(bdc)2(MeOH)2 and Cu2(bdc)2(bpy) (bdc2- = 1, 4-benzenedicarboxylate, bpy = 4, 4′-bipyridine). Detailed characterization of the replicated systems reveals that the structuralization plays an important role in determining the adsorptive properties of the replicated systems, and that the immobilization of the crystals within a higher-order architecture also affects its structural and dynamic properties. The polyacrylamide polymer is also found to be crucial for maintaining the structuralization of the monolithic systems, and in providing the mechanical robustness required for manual handling. In all, the results discussed here demonstrate a significant expansion in the scope of the coordination replication strategy, and further confirms its utility as a highly versatile platform for the preparation of functional three-dimensional superstructures of porous coordination polymers

Mechanically stable, hierarchically porous Cu3(btc)2 (HKUST-1) monoliths via direct conversion of copper(ii) hydroxide-based monoliths.

The synthesis of highly crystalline macro-meso-microporous monolithic Cu3(btc)2 (HKUST-1; btc(3-) = benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate) is demonstrated by direct conversion of Cu(OH)2-based monoliths while preserving the characteristic macroporous structure. The high mechanical strength of the monoliths is promising for possible applications to continuous flow reactors

Natural larval Echinococcus multilocularis infection in a Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus, captured indoors in Hokkaido, Japan

Natural infection with larval Echinococcus multilocularis was recognized in one of eight Norway rats, Rattus norvegicus, caught indoors in 2009 in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, northern Japan. Cystic lesions were found in the right median and lateral lobes of the liver, with numerous alveolar cysts in the periphery of the lesions. Protoscolices were formed within large cysts. The laminated layers of the cysts were positive for PAS staining. Nested PCR using the primers specific for Taenia mitochondrial 12S rDNA yielded a 250-bp product, and the sequence of the PCR product matched that of E. multilocularis isolates from Hokkaido and Germany. This is the third natural alveolar hydatidosis in R. norvegicus in Japan